Self Defense
by TimelessTears
Summary: In which the goal post incident doesn't happen quite like it could have. Why? Well, meet Spencer Reid with some tricks up his sleeve.
1. Chapter 1

"Hey Spencer, can I talk to you for a moment?" A pretty blonde asked as she sidled up to his table. Brown eyes looked up from the book they had been reading so vivaciously and blinked owlishly at the girl from behind thick-rimmed glasses.

"Excuse me?" The small twelve year old asked in a quiet voice, resisting the urge to look around and make sure she wasn't talking to someone else.

"I asked if I could talk to you for a moment." Harper Hillman repeated patiently with a kind smile on her face. A smile he was not used to seeing directed at him. For a long moment, he simply stared at her, unsure of her intentions. She had never intentionally gone out of her way to give him hell but she was part of the group that did and she always laughed when they tripped him in the hallways or stole his homework. Still, it would be unfair to judge her prematurely so he decided to hear what she had to say, suspicious though he was.

"Well technically you're already talking to me and I can't really stop you." He finally answered in a bookish tone as he pushed his glasses up and could tell immediately that she was resisting the urge to roll her eyes which set off warning bells in his head.

Ah, so it was a trap; not a peace treaty.

"Is that a yes or no, Genius Boy?" She teased as she sat down next him, already assuming his answer.

"Yes." Was his simple reply, wishing he had just walked away. Not that it would have mattered; she would have followed or worse, gone to the football players to teach him a lesson.

"All right, so here's the thing, y'know Alexa, right?" She asked him.

"Well I know _of_ her. But we've never spoken." Which was true, unless one counted malicious laughter and ugly jeering as conversation starters. He had to admit though, she was the most beautiful girl in school. Anybody could see that.

"Of course." This time Harper did roll her eyes but continued on with a sugary smile dipped in poison. "Anyway, I'm, like, her best friend and the other day she confessed to me that she thought you were," Her voice dropped with a giggle and she whispered in his ear like she was revealing a divine secret. "_cute_."

Spencer's a smart cookie, but he's still a child and he yearned for affection in any form he could get. The thought of _Alexa Lisbon_ thinking he was cute nearly blew him away and he almost shot up to find her before his intelligence shook the infatuation from his head. '_Look at the facts, Spencer!__' _His mind screamed at him. '_Look at the pattern: Girl sneers at you, Girl jeers at you, Girl thinks you're cute? I don't think so!'_

_'Touché.' _He thought, berating himself for almost falling for that. How juvenile! Then he realized Harper was still sitting next to him, obviously waiting for a reaction from him if her expression was anything to go by. Oh yes, something was definitely up; that expression of vicious glee only came about when he was about to be deeply humiliated.

"That's nice." He decided to tell her diplomatically with a polite smile. "Now if that's all, I really have to finish this-" Her hand slammed his book shut before he could finish his sentence and the sound echoed in the library, startling several other readers.

"But that's _not_ all." She simpered sweetly, her hand grabbing his wrist in an iron grip. "See, Alexa wants to meet you."

"Does she now?" He asked, resisting the urge to rub the bridge of his nose, already tired of this charade.

"Yup! She's waiting behind the school on the football field. She really wants you to come." Harper pleaded and had the gall to fake a little sniffle; as if she couldn't believe he was thinking of rejecting her friend.

_'The football field? Because _**_that _**_doesn't like a set up at all.__' _He thought sarcastically. Looking in her eyes, he realized belatedly that he should have never let her touched him because there was no way she'd let him go now. '_Might as well get this over with. Whatever they have planned, it can't be too bad.'_He breathed out a deep sigh.

"When?" He asked her in a resigned voice and immediately regretted it when she gave him a vicious smile.

"Now." And before he knew what was happening, she was dragging him down the halls, practically dislocating his shoulder in the process. '_Now? So much for preparing myself.' __Spencer thought, barely holding back a grumble of annoyance._

Upon reaching the football field in record time, he found Alexa waiting for him.

Along with the entire football team.

How delightful.

"I brought him!" Harper chirped brightly as she roughly pushed him towards the players. "Anyone have any hand sanitizer? I had to _touch_ him!" She cried, like he had leprosy or some equally devastating disease. He had half the mind to snap an insult back but found himself occupied with the fact that he had just been encircled by people two times his size and three times his weight.

. . .this was not looking good at all, was it?

"So, heard you thought you had a chance with _my_ girl. Is that right, Spency?" Jack Sayous sneered as he wrapped his arm possessively around Alexa's waist.

"No." Spencer answered, doing his best to keep the tremble out of his voice.

"Oh? So she's not good enough for you? Is that it Brain Boy?" The quarterback spat back, clearly offended that this little twerp thought he was too good for his girl.

"How about instead of you trying to set me up, you just get on with it?" Spence snapped back, showing his backbone and surprising them all. "I kinda figured out this was a trap the moment it was mentioned that a girl who wouldn't spit on me if I was on fire suddenly decided she liked me."

Immediately, he regretted his outburst, but he was so tired of being picked on. The teachers say ignore, ignore, ignore, and they'll leave you alone. Well, Einstein (who was much smarter than his teachers) once said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Spencer, who was a self-proclaimed scientist, wasn't seeing results with the ignorance theory. Not to mention he had a mother at home who wasn't well most of the time, so this bullying was just added stress on taking care of her, the house, the bills, the laundry, the groceries, and a thousand other things.

To be blunt, he was getting tired of this shit and he was getting tired of it fast. His vast patience was waning not unlike the moon. Actually, that was a rather good metaphor for him. Here he was this pale, _brilliant_ being about to be burned and scorched by those glorious people that lived in the sun.

But it was all right.

"Well whadda ya know? You pegged it in one!" Jack mocked, nudging Alexa to move back and nodding to another player to hand him some rope. "See, we thought it'd be great if we could show you off to everybody, since you're the best student this school's ever had, and what better way than to strip you naked and tie you to the goal post for all to see?"

For you see, they were about to reach an eclipse.

_I'm going to blind you all._

In their laughter, they didn't see a slow smile come across the child's face.

"Is that so?" He asked loudly to gain their attention.

"Yup. And there's nothing a shrimp like you can do about it." Alexa- or was it Harper?- snickered.

"I see." He replied nonchalantly, nodding as if he had just decided something. "I have a better idea."

He let his anger loose.

"How about you leave me the _hell _alone?"

Before Jack Sayous could come up with a comeback, he felt a small hand take ahold of his arm before another hand formed a fist and hit him slightly above his elbow. It hurt a little, like a friendly punch from his buddies. The next punch was felt in the middle of his arm and pain shot up him like never before and, surprisingly, brought him to his knees.

"What the hell?" He screamed in rage as he tried to use his arm and found it numb. "What did you do to me, you little freak?"

"Nothing permanent." Was the only thing he heard before he felt fingers press into his neck and blackness took over.

Meanwhile, Spencer let loose a relieved sigh and stepped away from the unconscious football player. Looking at the shocked teenagers he gave them a glare so venomous, a few actually took a step back.

"Right." He started out, "The next person that-"

"Jack!" Alexa screamed, running toward the fallen boy and making the others take action. They no longer blocked Spencer in but went over to their friend. "What did you do to him?" Alexa shrieked at him.

"Nothing he didn't deserve." Spencer shrugged, uncaring of Jack's predicament. Was it his fault that the moon snuffed out the sun so easily?

"You punk, I'll make you regret ever being born." A linebacker growled, rolling up one sleeve and forming a meaty fist as he made threatening steps towards the genius.

Under normal circumstances, Spencer would be shaking in his shoes, begging to be left alone with tears streaming down his face. As it was, these weren't normal circumstances. For one, adrenaline was still running through him, blocking out rational thinking and another was that he was still _furious._

"Go ahead!" He yelled defiantly and some gathered wondered if this was the same kid they stuffed into trash cans on a daily basis. "You already do that anyway! What's one more to me? But if you're going to make me regret being born, I'll make sure you'll never be able to reproduce." He threatened and the lineman laughed.

"Oh really? How're you gonna do that? Kick me in the balls?" The teenager guffawed as he crudely grabbed his package. "Hate to break it to you, but my dick is bigger than your foot."

"That may be." Spencer conceded with a nod while digging into his back pocket. "But I have no intention of going below the belt. . ."

"Then how're you gonna kill off all my little soldiers, eh?" The other asked, clearly not taking him seriously.

"I have no intention of going below the belt with a kick." Spencer finished. "But I will taser you. I'm sure your future heirs will thank you for that-if they survive. An electric jolt can kill anything if it's powerful enough and I've got about 300,000 bolts just waiting for you if you take one step closer." The boy threatened as he held the taser for all to see; at the sight of a small spark of electricity coming from the device some began running for the hills without a second thought.

. . .others weren't so smart.

"Oh please!" The lineman laughed. "That has to be a fake! Where on earth would you be able to get a real one?" The older boy asked, not believing Spencer one bit.

"I don't know man," Another kid called out in concern. "It looks real to me. Maybe you should back off."

"Don't be a dumbass! There's no way someone would give a scrawny shrimp like him something dangerous like a taser." The aggressor sneered.

"You're right." Spencer admitted without batting an eye.

"See?" The football player said as he took another step towards Spencer.

". . .it's actually a stun gun. Civilians can't purchase tasers. Not like it matters; I imagine they both hurt like hell." And without further ado, he went through with his threat, striking quickly in one of the most sensitive places on the male body. Some would think it dishonorable of him to aim there but he was past caring about honor. This was about survival and he decided if he had to use underhanded means to get them to back off then so be it. Maybe _then_ they'd understand just how pissed off they'd made him.

The lineman felt it.

"The next person gets pepper sprayed!" Spencer yelled loudly, whipping out a small can from his other pocket.

"Where the hell are you getting all these dangerous things from?" One of the teens asked incredulously.

"I've always had them." Spencer replied truthfully. He'd had the spray since he was a small child. Something had happened- he couldn't recall what- but after they had moved, his dad had handed him the can of pepper spray and told him that if any strangers tried to touch him to spray it in their eyes. He was told quite firmly that the pepper spray was not a toy and was to only be used in emergencies. Come to think of it, that was also the same year his mom made him start taking karate classes which was where he learned the pressure point techniques. It had been hard at first- his coordination wasn't very good- but he got the hang of it after a few months. It was strange; normally his mom would let him drop something physically taxing but not this, no matter how much he begged.

_'It's for your own good Spencer.'_Her voice echoed in his head._ '__You need to know how to protect yourself.'_

He had gotten the stun gun from a women's self-defense course. He had run into the YMCA to avoid some bullies chasing him and accidentally interrupted their class. They had been quite kind to him after seeing his bruised cheek and bloody lip. The instructor had kindly let him sit in on the lesson and afterwards sneaked him one of the stun guns that the ladies could purchase if they felt the need. The instructor had given him one that she thought was broken. It was really supposed to be a scare tactic to frighten away bullies but he became curious about it at home and decided to take it apart. Turns out a wire had gotten loose and it needed new batteries. Once that was fixed it worked like new.

Honestly, he had only kept them on his person for in case he was ever in a situation like a mugging. Not once had he thought about using them on his classmates until today and even then it was more out of instinct to survive than to hurt.

"I'm giving you all an ultimatum right now: you can either leave me alone or be on the floor frothing at the mouth from pain while rubbing your eyes. You don't have to like me- go ahead, hate away; just don't _touch_ me and we'll be ok." He offered in firm voice, arm still tense, ready to strike the first person to act aggressively.

The group looked at each other, holding a silent conversation that was at a standstill if the stubborn and pleading faces meant anything.

"No way." One finally said confidently with only had a small tremor in his voice. "There's one of you and about twenty of us. So what if you have weapons? We could easily take those away from you!" The kids that had wanted to leave him alone became more supportive when they heard that reasoning.

"A valid point." Spencer replied calmly as his mind tried to think up a way to save himself. "But I too have friends; adult friends who aren't afraid to lay hands on people like you." He delivered in a quiet, cold voice that sent shivers up their spines.

In truth, he didn't have any adult friends; at least, none that would hurt kids. But it never hurt to bluff. This was Vegas after all.

The next thing that happened was an event so serendipitous, it was probably the most serendipitous thing to ever happen to one person.

For at that moment, a motorcycle gang had pulled up into the parking lot that Spencer's back was facing. Traffic was always loud in Vegas and their school was on a main street so he had filtered the roar of the engines as background noise. One of the players had opened his mouth to call his bluff when he became stark white. In fact, all the teenagers had become seriously pale with dread filled looks on their faces in a matter of seconds.

"Oh my God." One whispered.

"He wasn't kidding!" Another choked out.

"Of course not, why would I lie to you?" Spencer asked, taking advantage of their sudden fear. He didn't know why they were suddenly so scared but he had learned long ago to never change your bluff if you can help it.

"Run!" Someone shouted.

He didn't expect them to pick up their injured friends and move like the devil was on their heels. Uncertain of the reason, but not ungrateful for the strange reaction, he put his gun and spray back in his pockets and let out a big exhale of air.

"Why the hell are they all runnin'? We aint that scary!" A deep voice from behind him said, scaring the daylights out of him.

"You look in the mirror lately?" A feminine voice shot back sarcastically.

Whirling around, Spencer found himself staring up at the biggest man he had ever seen in his life. He was a bear of a man, with arms that looked like they could squeeze Spencer's head off with little effort. His eyes were hidden by dark sunglasses and his hair was held back in a red bandanna. He was dressed in jeans and leather and had a full black beard with a cigarette hanging out between his teeth.

"Shut up." He growled at the woman. "There's one left. See?" He said, pointing at Spencer.

"Only because he couldn't see your ugly mug, now he's traumatized." She teased, her red lips smeared into a smirk. She was a round lady, but by no means obese. She also wore sunglasses, jeans and leather but seemed far less intimidating. Her blonde hair glinted in the light and she put her hands on her knees and bent down, ignoring the man's reply and focusing on Spencer.

"Hey, little man." She greeted him, removing her shades to reveal pretty blue eyes. "You don't need to be afraid of us; we just need to ask you a few questions. I'm Gretchen and this here is Black Bear."

He could see where that nickname fit.

"Um, ok? I'm Spencer." He replied hesitantly, fearing for several of his body parts.

"My wolf pack just got off the big slab and we're lost." The man explained shortly.

"Ah, I see. Where do you need to go?" Spencer asked; his relief evident. They just needed directions.

"We're in town for a convention. I think we took a wrong turn somewhere. We saw you kids and decided to stop and see if you could help us out. Didn't think they'd run for their lives." The man muttered the last sentence in an offended tone.

"What convention? We have three- why are you caring a metal pole?" Spencer asked suddenly when he realized the man was holding onto a long metal pole like one would a walking stick.

"This?" He asked, waving it around before letting out a deep laugh. "I'm just usin' it 'cuz I got a charley horse! I won't beat you with it, promise." He chuckled.

"But there're specks of dried blood on it." Spencer pointed out weakly with a small gulp.

"Yeah. Used it in a bar fight two towns over." The biker said shamelessly.

If Spencer had the strength to run, he would have, but fear kept him frozen. His feelings must have shown quite extravagantly because the next thing he knew Gretchen was punching the big man in the shoulder while he tried to simultaneously make the situation better.

"I promise I won't hit you with it kid. I'm not like that. Now, if you were a few years older with a bad apple attitude trying to mess with my guys- Woman! Would you stop hitting me?" He snapped at her.

"Idiot! Shame on you, scaring small kids!" she scolded back.

"Better than the abuse you're doling out! Some example you are!" He quipped back and both began to bicker with each other.

"Ur, hey, do you guys still want directions?" Spencer asked even though he didn't think they'd hear him.

Never underestimate a biker's hearing.

"Yes." They both replied, looking at him with renewed hope. Smiling at their child-like eagerness, he explained that there were three motorcycle conventions all held in the downtown arena.

"Awesome." Black Bear beamed and Spencer couldn't help but smile back because he could see a certain charm in these rough, tough riders of the open road.

"Now how do we get there? Cause we're lost as hell." Black Bear asked, scratching the top of his head.

"Hmm, you're not an auditory learner are you?" Spencer asked with a small smile.

"What?"

"I mean, you're not good with hearing instructions. You need a visual or have someone show you." The genius explained. The man stopped smiling and gave Spencer a hard look, making him wonder if he had gone too far.

"Damn. We've known each other for ten minutes and you already know that? You must be a pretty smart kid." Black Bear grinned, easing Spencer's fear.

"So I've been told. If you want, I could show the way, if you don't mind an extra passenger." Spencer offered. The two bikers exchanged worried looks.

"That's a lovely offer honey, but won't your parents want to know where you are? Don't think they'd appreciate you hoppin' on with us for a quick ride downtown. What if we're kidnappers?" Gretchen asked.

"That'd be a rare statistic indeed! Men and women usually only team up when they're in a relationship and lost their child. While there have been group kidnappings in the past, they're filled by political or moral reasoning." Spencer felt the need to point out. "Also, we'll be in a heavily populated area, so I could yell for help at any time." He neglected to tell them about the pepper spray or stun gun he had hastily put away but had a feeling they knew when they exchanged slow smiles with one another.

"Alright, kiddo. You've convinced me. Have you ever ridden on a Harley before?" Black Bear asked as the trio began walking toward the others.

"No, but I know when it was built, along with the maker and several other things." Spencer replied back, eagerly spilling the information to them. Along the way, he felt the bikers deserved to know what they had interrupted earlier.

"Well I'll be damned! You are smart, aren't you? Serves them punks' right! I thought it was odd they were carrying two of them but I thought they received injuries from football practice." Reaching the others, Black Bear made a brief introduction and told them what was going on. After that, he grabbed Spencer with one massive hand and set him on a bike before sitting behind him.

"Normally, passengers sit behind the driver but I can just see you shootin' off into the wind if you accidentally lose your grip. You're small enough; I can see without having to look over you. Ah! Can't forget the ol' brain bucket!" The biker said, grabbing an extra helmet from his side satchel and putting it on Spencer's head.

"All right, fellas! Let's roll!" He yelled as he revved his bike and shot off, listening to Spencer's directions perfectly, despite the wind and loud motor. Upon reaching the arena (many of the bikers cheered at that; Black Bear seemed to have a bad sense of direction). While they were in line getting registered for the bike show, the men filled more information into Spencer's already vast pool of knowledge by explaining biker slang to him. He was having such a good time, his smile wilted when Black Bear clamped a hand on his shoulder and told him he needed to take him home.

"I'd love for you to stay short stuff, but I don't want your mam to be worried about you."

"I could take a cab." Spencer pointed out.

"You got that kind of money?" The man raised a bushy eyebrow making him squirm.

"No sir." He admitted softly, staring at the ground. Today had been such a liberating day. He didn't want it to end.

"Hey now, none of that." Black Bear said quietly as he bent down and wiped away the silently falling tears. "If you do that, I'm gonna be ballin' too and that just aint good for my image." He joked weakly as he removed his sunglasses for the first time, revealing soft brown eyes.

"But, I really like being with you guys. I've been having a blast." Spencer admitted, well aware he was pushing a moot point. He needed to go back home. Just because he fended off his bullies didn't mean he could leave his mom alone. Responsibilities needed to be upheld and he was the only left to do them.

"C'mon, little buddy. Let me take you home." The man gently man-handled him towards the bike after Spencer gave a tearful goodbye to all the bikers who seemed to be holding back their own sniffles (except Gretchen who cried as she crushed him to near death in a hug). Just like how they reached the arena, Spencer gave Black Bear directions to his house over the wind.

It took less than 10 minutes.

Stopping the Harley in front of the house Spencer pointed out, Black Bear killed the engine and helped the kid get off.

"You sure you'll be able to get back?" Spencer asked as he handed the man back the extra helmet.

"Yeah, once I've been there, I know the way." Black Bear told him cheerfully. Seeing the forlorn expression on the kid's face, he heaved a big sigh. "C'mon, little buddy. Don't be sad. It's not like this will be the last time we meet."

"What?" Spencer sniffed, hope shining through his eyes.

"Well, I doubt this will be the last convention Vegas ever holds for bikers. Also, I have something for you." Black Bear said as he rustled out a paper from his vest and handed it to him.

"The B.A.C.A. Legion of Utah?" Spencer asked with a tilted eyebrow.

"Yup. Most pro bikers have a legion of some sort they're affiliated with. You ever have any problems at home, school, or anywhere else you call them up and ask for me. They'll send me the message and me and my gang will be here faster than you can shed a tear." Black Bear said seriously.

"What? All the way from Utah?" Spencer asked, shocked.

"What can I say? You're worth it." The man said with a loud, gruff laugh before realizing Spencer wasn't laughing. "Ah don't be that way, little buddy." He said, seeing more tears pool in those brown eyes.

"But from Utah?" Spencer asked again in disbelief, shaking his head. "I'm not worth _that_."

"Now don't go and say things like that." Black Bear said seriously. "Spencer," He started, using Reid's name for the first time. "I don't think any child should ever feel worthless or be put down the way your school mates tried to do today. You are most certainly worth it and if I have to come down here and scare the shit out of a few dumbass teenagers to prove it then I will."

"No." Spencer laughed. "I think I can do that well enough on my own."

"Spencer?" A familiar voice called out and both looked to see Diana standing in the front doorway. "Who are you talking to?" She called out, looking worried.

"I gotta go Black Bear. Keep the dirty side down, ok?" Spencer waved as he began walking towards his mom.

"You got it kid! Keep the shiny side up!" The man let loose one last laugh before starting up his engine and driving away.

"Who was that?" Diana asked as soon as the door was shut. Spencer was surprised she didn't seem more panicked. Maybe today was a good day.

"Just a friend." He replied vaguely, hoping that would be enough.

"Spencer." She said in a warning tone so he relented and told her about his day.

"Well," She started after he finished, hugging him tightly. "What kind of mother would I be if I wasn't grateful for wild angels roaming the open road?" She asked rhetorically before letting him go to go start dinner. Silently, she made a memo to call the school later and raise hell.

"Yeah," he said softly to himself with a peaceful smile, staring at the bright blue sky out the kitchen window. "Wild angels indeed."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Ah, how do I explain this piece? Well, I got to thinking, and if I ever had child that encountered a sexual fiend, I would enroll them in a self-defense as fast as I could. The idea just kept nagging at me, so I wrote it down.**

**B.A.C.A.- Bikers Against Child Abuse. This is a real group. What they do is, when there's a waiting period during a trial with abuse charges, they give that child their phone number and that child can call them anytime, anywhere, anyplace. Doesn't matter why. They'll even go with them to school. The point is to make sure that child is safe and feels empowered. Now, Reid's not an abused child but neglect can be just as bad, if not worse.**

**I just get a kick out of the thought of these big scary bikers coming to stand behind a kid at school with their arms crossed. I find it to be a very admiring cause.**

**Aaaaaaand some interesting tidbits.**

**A Solar Eclipse can blind you if you look directly into it, or at least it can damage your vision.**

**Keep the dirty/shiny side down/ up - Means ride safe.**

**Big Slab- Highway**

**Brain Bucket- Helmet**

**Jack Sayous is an anagram. Unscrambled: You Jackass. If you've read Dumb and Ditzy then you should know I can't help myself when it comes to these kind of things.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed it!**

**2/16/15- Re-edited. Probably still missing some parts but it's better than what it was.**


	2. Chapter 2

_12 years later~_

"I hate this case." Morgan muttered, wiping water away from his eyes as the rain continued to pour down.

"I know, Morgan. You've told us a hundred times already." Emily grouched soaked to the bone, with an equally drenched genius nodding his head in agreement.

The BAU had been called to Cedar City, Utah two weeks ago. Young kids in foster homes across the city were disappearing. Two weeks in and there were 11 children missing with no clues of their whereabouts.

"That woman wasted our time, we're sopping wet and we still don't know where any of these kids are." Morgan continued, agitated to the core. To make things worse, the media had gotten wind of the case and the police department had been getting dozens of calls from angry and concerned citizens. They were also getting calls from people claiming they had information. Sadly, most of these people were liars, such as the lady the trio had finished interviewing.

And of course, because the things apparently weren't bad enough, it decided to downpour the moment they stepped outside.

"I think our victims are being taken into a human trafficking ring. I hope JJ and Hotch were able to find something out from their interviews." Reid said quietly, climbing into the SUV and buckling up. The two agents had decided to hit the streets and see if any of the prostitutes knew anything.

"They should have taken you. All the Ladies of the Night have a soft spot for you, Pretty Boy." Morgan grinned, looking in his review mirror just in time to see Reid blush scarlet. Emily's eyes widened and she whipped around to stare at their youngest member in disbelief.

"What? Reid, you dog." She said with a saucy grin.

"No! No, it's not like that Emily! It was on a different case in a completely different state!" Reid stuttered to defend himself. "They saw me as low hanging fruit for some reason." He finished, making Morgan snort. "Shut up, Morgan!"

"We're just messing with you, Reid. No need to get defensive." Morgan commented as they pulled into the police department's parking lot.

"That's weird, Hotch and JJ are back already." Emily noted, seeing the other SUV as they walked inside. "I wonder if something happened."

Heading for the conference room that had been given to them, they found JJ pinning photos of their victims on to the cork board with one hand while the other held her phone. Looking up, she saw them and gave a smile.

"Anything you find on him would be helpful. Thanks Garcia." Hanging up, she turned to the others. "Did the witness have any helpful information?"

"No." Morgan scowled, his bad mood coming back. "She just wanted in on all the chaos. There should be some kind of fine for people like that. How about you guys? Any of the street walkers see or know anything?"

"We didn't get to interview any." JJ said, pinning another photo. "Halfway to the red light district, Rossi called us and said we had to come back. A man came in claiming one of the kids called him. Rossi and Hotch are questioning him right now." The way she said the last sentence made Reid curious.

"Questioning him as a witness or as a suspect?" He asked and knew it was the latter at JJ's uneasy look.

"Rossi said when the man was behaving aggressively when he came in. He actually head-butted an officer when they asked him to calm down. He also knew the name and description of the child who he claimed called him; the two things that weren't released to the media. So he knows something."

"Our profile of the unsub is of a male who is very calm and doesn't panic easily. Aggressive behavior is something people notice." Emily pointed out.

"Our profile also says our unsub is physically fit and strong enough to carry a teenager with no problems. The only things on this man's record are speeding tickets and spending the night in county for a bar fight but I'm having Garcia dig deeper. I could see him being involved in illegal cage fighting thanks to his stature. Trust me, this guy's a bear." JJ told them.

A suspicion was beginning to form in Reid's mind. The probability was low, very low, but with a job like this, Reid learned anything was possible. Without saying a word, Reid spun around and made his way to the interrogation room. Looking through the two-way mirror, he saw Hotch and Rossi questioning a man with a big, burly black beard and a red bandanna tied across his forehead.

Reid let loose a groan and hit his head against the glass. The resounding 'thunk' caught the attention of the three inside the room.

"Is there someone out there?" The suspect asked, looking at the window. "If it's that guy I head-butted coming here to laugh at me, Imma beat him with this chair."

"You're handcuffed to the table." Hotch pointed out.

"The table then. I'll beat him with the table."

"The table that just so happens to be bolted to the floor?" Rossi supplied helpfully.

"Bolts can be ripped out of the ground with enough force." The suspect replied with a sunny smile. "Trust me. They said the same thing about a table in a tavern I was in 3 months back. By the time the fight was a finished, that table was no longer bolted to the floor. I mean, I guess the two of the legs were still bolted but the top came off easily enough. Now the window that that guy got thrown out of-"

"Back to the matter at hand, ." Hotch interrupted, ignoring Rossi's disappointed look. "Why was Annabelle Mason calling you?" Immediately, the man's friendly disposition changed into one of worried panic.

"She was scared. More scared than when her daddy threatened to kill her sisters in front of her. I tried to keep her calm and ask her where she was but she hung up." Brigham finished sadly. "Kids. . .kids shouldn't ever have to feel like that; like they can't speak for fear of something awful happening to them. Please find her. I can't say cops are my favorite people but I know you guys care about kids. If you find her and bring her back safely- her and all the others- I'll never cuss out another cop. Not even for an undeserved speeding ticket. Heck, they can light my bike on fire if it means getting those kids back home."

"Annabelle's father is in prison. He's been there for several years and will be there much longer." Hotch stated, eyes darkening as he re-evaluated the suspect.

"He should stay in there forever." The other man said ominously.

"What my partner is trying to say is that the Mason case was not open to the public according to the records. How did you know Annabelle's father threatened her and her sisters in such a manner?" Rossi asked and Brigham rolled his eyes.

"Because she called me and told me." Brigham told them plainly.

"Little girls don't call bikers." Hotch stated.

"They do if that biker promises to come and make sure they're safe." Brigham snapped back. "Listen, I'm not your suspect. I'm trying to help Annabelle. Stop wasting valuable time. The fact that she's been missing for two weeks and is still alive is amazing!"

Hotch was about to continue his questioning when someone knocked twice on the door. Rossi shared a look with him. One knock meant someone wanted to switch out interrogators but two knocks meant there was new information that both needed to hear.

"Excuse us, Mr. Brigham. We'll be back in a moment." Hotch said abruptly, standing up. Leaving the room with Rossi, he was surprised to find a muttering Reid pacing in the hallway as Emily, Morgan, and JJ looked on in worry and amusement.

"Did you crack the case, Reid?" Rossi asked somewhat sarcastically after Hotch shut the door.

"No. But I can tell you Black Bear isn't our unsub. He's a fighter but he'd rather cut his own arm off before he hurt a child." Reid said absent-mindedly, stopping his pacing to glare at the window.

"Black Bear?" Morgan asked out loud as everyone exchanged questioning glances. "The guy's name is-"

"Acel Brigham is his civilian name. He goes by his biker name; Black Bear." Reid interrupted, still looking through the window. "At least he didn't have metal pole on him this time." He muttered barely loud enough for the others to hear.

"Actually he did." Rossi told him and Reid gave him a blunt look in return.

"With blood specks?" It was asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Yup." Rossi nodded.

"From a bar fight two towns over?" Reid asked dryly.

"Three blocks over but close enough. I take it you know this fine fellow, Reid?" Reid looked at Rossi as if it should be obvious.

"Yes. Black Bear is a part of the B.A.C.A organization. Bikers Against Child Abuse." He elaborated after a moment of confused silence.

"That sounds like a very interesting organization." Emily said slowly with an arched brow of her own.

"Oh, yes." Reid replied with an enthusiastic smile. "They're involved in a lot of child abuse cases. The bikers are safety blankets for a lot of kids. Waiting periods during the court trials can be nerve wracking for kids, especially if they're living with their abuser. Anytime a child feels unsafe, they can call B.A.C.A and a biker will stay with them until they feel better. Doesn't matter when or where. They'll even go to school with the kid."

"Is that how you know Black Bear?" JJ asked quietly. Reid was rather tight lipped about his childhood because of his mother's illness. Maybe a neighbor thought she was abusing him and called the cops?

"What? No. Where did you get that idea?" Reid asked incredulously, clueless to the others' line of thought. "His gang had come to Vegas for a biker convention and ended up lost. They saw me on the football field of my school and stopped to ask for directions."

"I feel like a football field is the last place you would be at." Morgan joked and immediately regretted it as a dark look fell across Reid's face.

"I didn't want to be there. The football team wanted to. . .I mean, Alexa and Harper had told me-look, I only knocked one person unconscious and the linebacker, well, I'm sure that stun gun didn't end his reproduction skills _permanently_. And regardless of the rumors that spread afterwards, I didn't actually pepper spray anyone so the idea that someone was blinded to the point of their eyeballs falling out is ludicrous. Pepper spray can't-"

"Reid." Hotch barked out, getting the young man's attention. "Black Bear. How did you meet?"

"He stopped to ask for direction to the biker convention. I gave him directions but he's not an auditory learner. It was easier to just guide them there." Reid said casually.

"Wait, weren't you 12 when you graduated?" Emily cut in.

"Yeah."

"You couldn't have had a driver's licenses at 12." She exclaimed.

"Of course not. I rode with Black Bear." Reid replied casually. "What?" He asked, seeing their horrified looks and yelped when JJ punched his arm. "Ow! JJ! What was that for?" He whined, rubbing his throbbing arm.

"You got on the bike with him?! Reid, he could have kidnapped you!" She scolded him, going into full mother mode.

"No. Gretchen and Black Bear mentioned that scenario too. They asked me if my parents would be ok with me running off with strangers. I told them it would be strange for a biker gang to kidnap a kid, especially on the way to a crowed motorcycle convention."

"Oh, yes. Strange right up until you realize they were lying about the convention and handed you off to the black market to be sold." JJ snapped at him.

"That, ah, that thought had never crossed my mind." He told her sheepishly.

"Obviously. Too trusting, even as a kid." She grumbled good naturedly, giving him a quick hug.

"What happened next, Reid?" Rossi asked, interested in the story.

"I took them to the convention. They were really happy to get there on time. Black Bear has no sense of direction. He took me home and gave me his number. He told me I could call him anytime if anyone gave me any trouble."

"And did anyone give you trouble?" Morgan asked, a protective look crossing his face at the thought of Spence being bullied. Just thinking about it made him want to punch someone.

"Just once; some kids thought it would be funny to stuff me a locker. The next day three very big and angry looking bikers went to all my classes with me." Reid gave them a big grin. "I think that was the best day of my high school career. Black Bear impressed my calculus teacher by solving the daily board problem without a calculator, Gretchen threatened to call someone's mom if they didn't stop staring at me and a desk was permanently bent into an almost 90° angel due to a rather aggressive arm wrestling contest. Gretchen won by the way."

"And Black Bear's never felt off to you? He's never done anything that would make you feel unsafe?" Hotch asked.

"Never."

Hotch opened his mouth to say something when his phone went off. "Hotchner." He answered immediately. He stood there quietly for several moments, listening to the person on the other end. "I see. Thank you for informing me." He said brusquely, hanging up and looking at his team. "Another child was just reported missing. Unless Black Bear has an accomplice he's innocent."

"He's definitely innocent." JJ replied, hanging up her own phone. "That was Garcia. Acel Brigham and his biker gang where at a bike show last week in Denver. They only arrived in Cedar City two days ago."

"JJ, make sure the media does not get ahold of this update. Morgan, Emily, you're coming with me to the foster home. Reid, work on our unsub's profile. If you notice anything off, call me immediately. Rossi, get Mr. Brigham to tell you everything he knows and make sure he's released with no problems when you're done." Hotch ordered, ready to move out when Reid stopped him.

"About Black Bear, do you think we can keep him on to help with the case?" The youngest profile asked.

"Reid, he's a civilian. An angry one who's made it known how he feels about cops." Hotch pointed out.

"That's true but he's also made it known how he feels about kids. He wouldn't sabotage the case. Besides, I think keeping him close is the best way to solving this case."

"What makes you say that?" Rossi asked and Reid gave them all a down right devious smile.

"Annabelle Mason called him once. The moment she thinks it safe, she'll call him again. That alone should be enough to keep him on."

"Alright, Reid." Hotch relented. "Rossi will work on the profile and you work with Mr. Brigham. If he wants to stay and help, he can, but Mr. Brigham is free to go whenever he pleases, understood?"

"Of course, Hotch." The genius nodded.

Meanwhile, Black Bear was staring at the wall across from him, looking bored out of his mind. On the inside though, he was fraught with panic. Just remembering Annabelle's shaky voice from that short phone call earlier made him want to vomit. He had never gotten on well with the law enforcement when it came to the open road (so many speeding tickets. . .so many) but he had thought they would take the information he had seriously. Instead, some young upstart cop had the gall to ask if he was intoxicated and he somehow ended up as a suspect. Despite what those uniformed men thought, he wasn't stupid. Black Bear knew how witnesses were treated and he knew how suspects were treated. Just as he was considering yelling to see if anyone would come, the door opened and slim young man stepped inside. Black Bear raised one bushy eyebrow as the man turned to look at him. He certainly didn't look like a police officer. He looked like a college student and, well, Black Bear couldn't put his finger on it, but this young man reminded him of someone. Something about those brown eyes. . .

It clicked when the young man sat down, sighed and gave him a weary smile.

"I thought I told you to keep the dirty side down, Black Bear." He teased.

"Spencer!" Black Bear yelled happily, recognizing the man as that sweet little boy who had helped him and his gang out so long ago. They had always met up when Black Bear went to Vegas but had lost contact years ago when Spencer started college. "What are you doing here, little buddy? You decide to become a cop or something?"

"Something like that," Reid agreed. "I'm working with the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit. We're helping on this kidnapping case."

"That's good." Black Bear sighed in relief. "You're a good kid and a smart one. I know if you're on the case, those kids will be back home soon."

"I'm glad you have faith in my abilities but I was hoping you would be willing to stay with me at the station and help us out." Reid said, fiddling with his thumbs nervously.

"I don't mind but I don't see why you would need me. Is someone giving you problems?" Black Bear asked suspiciously. Spencer had only ever called him once as a child but Black Bear felt like there were other instances where he could've helped that Reid was hiding from him.

"No one's giving me any problems. I'm not a kid, I can take care of myself." Reid replied, rolling his eyes. "Even if someone was giving me problems I have some strong and sometimes overprotective colleagues to help me out. I want you here because Annabelle Mason contacted you. If we put a trace on your phone, the next time she calls, we can track it."

"You think she'll call me again? She hung up the moment I asked where she was. I heard muffled voices in the background. I'm afraid they took her phone." The older man confessed sadly.

"It's a possibility. It's also possible she heard them coming hid her phone. She may not have had time to explain." Reid pointed out gently.

"Alright, I'll stay. But, uh, could you remove these handcuffs?" Black Bear asked with a sheepish smile.

"Of course! I have the key right here." Reid laughed. "By the way, where're Gretchen and the rest of the guys?" He asked as he freed Black Bear.

"Oh, they're around somewhere. Actually, can I ask a favor?" Black Bear asked, rubbing his wrist.

"Anything."

Two hours later, Hotch came back to find his conference room had filled up with several rough looking bikers. Bikers that were sitting very quietly, listening to Reid talk about the unsub's profile.

"So we know there's more than one person because keeping 12 children alive and together in one place is near impossible without help. However, there is only one person who's doing the kidnapping. Someone who knows the foster care system and houses well enough to be dismissed as part of the background. He'd be strong, with the power to subdue and keep his victims quiet. He has no personal interest in the children and is doing this for monetary gain."

"Reid." Hotch called out through gritted teeth, interrupting the lecture. "May I see you out in the hall for a moment?" The young man gulped and nodded nervously, scuttling quickly to the door.

"I'm almost afraid to ask, but why are there bikers in my conference room and why are you telling them sensitive information?" Hotch asked as the door shut behind them, barely holding back a growl.

"Black Bear and his bikers are like family. If Black Bear stayed here without telling them, they'd go crazy and think he had died in a ditch or something. Besides, they're all apart of B.A.C.A so there's a chance Annabelle might call one of them. It seemed easier to have them stay here; just in case." Reid explained softly.

"Perhaps, but are you forgetting all the rules you are currently breaking? These people aren't trained- we can barely call Mr. Brigham a witness! If the higher ups find out we're working outside protocol, we could be heavily penalized or suspended." Hotch said in a low voice.

"I'm aware of the risks but the higher ups won't find out." Reid stated.

"You sound so certain of yourself; I almost feel bad reminding you that this police department has little love for bikers and not much more for us." Hotch replied dryly.

"Oh. Actually, Black Bear and I made a deal with the chief of police. In exchange for staying quiet and letting the gang stay here and help out, the bikers will pay off all their speeding tickets." Reid told Hotch with a smile.

"What?" Hotch deadpanned, not quite believing the chief of police would make such a shoddy deal.

"It's a lot of tickets. Trust me, once they're added up it's enough to keep a mob boss quiet." Reid said with a carless shrug. "Besides, I talked it over with Rossi and JJ and they both seemed alright with it. I tried to call you but you were out of range. Also, Rossi told me that even if by some chance the higher ups do find out, he has enough black mail material to keep them silent." Reid ended brightly.

Hotch groaned.

"What's done is done." He said tiredly, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he walked back to the conference room.

The next several hours were spent both working and getting to know the 'witnesses'. Several of the bikers had staring contests with their phones, afraid that they would miss the call if they looked away for even a second. Others spent their time talking to the team and trading stories about Reid, mortifying the young profiler. Hotch found himself becoming rather fond of Gretchen because she knew how to keep the men inline and wasn't afraid to hit any of them if she thought they were going overboard. Black Bear may have been the leader but it was obvious to everyone who the bikers truly feared.

"I'm so proud of you, little man! I always knew you'd do something great with your life." Gretchen told Reid as she caught him in a bear hug. "Ah, but you're taller than me now, aren't you? I guess I can't call you that anymore, huh?" She ended with a sad smile.

"Woman, half the world's population is taller than you!" Black Bear heckled from across the room.

"And more than half the world's population is smarter than you!" She quipped back with an easy smile as the rest smiled and laughed at Black Bear's indignant, "Hey!"

"You don't have to stop calling me little man if it makes you sad. I don't mind the nickname." Reid told her kindly.

"Sweet! A new nickname for Reid." He heard Morgan stage whisper to Prentiss and quickly intervened.

"No Morgan, no one on this team is allowed to call me that. I'm taller than all of you and none of you knew me when I was short. Besides, you guys have enough nicknames for me already."

A response was on Morgan's tongue but no one would know what it was because a phone began to ring. Quick as lightening, Black Bear snatched his phone up.

"Hello?" He answered nervously and then sagged his shoulders in relief when he heard who was on the other end. "Annabelle! I'm so glad to hear your voice! You scared me earlier hanging up like you did."

As he spoke to her, the team was in motion. Reid was making sure the bikers stayed quiet; Rossi, Morgan and Emily were listening in on the conversation as Garcia was tracing the call and Hotch and JJ had silently left the room to inform the police of what was happening.

"Ah, I know you're scared, Little Queen and I'm sorry for that. But Annabelle, do you remember what I told you?" Black Bear asked her quietly. "You're a queen, Annabelle and no man owns you. You have a fiery spirit and I need you to use that fire to anchor yourself and the other kids with you. Can you do that and keep the others calm? I promise you that help is on the way but you need to tell me where you are." Again, the biker was quiet as he listened to the girl on the other end. "It's fine that you don't know the name of the building. Just describe what you see, sweet girl."

Garcia was able to trace were the call was coming from before Annabelle had to hang up. As Black Bear was reassuring the girl, Morgan, Hotch, Reid and a few officers were on their way to an old warehouse. Luck was on their side and they were able to surprise and subdue the traffickers without a hostage situation. In the warehouse they found not only the 12 children who had been reported missing but several others who had been missing for months and, sadly, some who had been smuggled in from other states.

"Man, the Human Trafficking Unit is gonna go crazy when they hear about this." Morgan sighed as they pulled back into the station. Already, there were news station vehicles everywhere with cameras going off every other second. Thankfully, JJ was distracting the reporters and the team was able to get inside with minimal fuss.

"So did you get them?" Black Bear asked anxiously, the moment he saw the team walk in. "Annabelle hasn't called me back yet. Is she alright? Are the others?" Seeing the worried and desperate look on Black Bear's face, Reid struggled to hide his smile.

"The children are at the hospital and will be taken back to their foster homes once they're deemed well enough. No visitors are being allowed right now for obvious reasons but if Annabelle was able to sneak her phone passed those traffickers, she can probably do it at the hospital as well. Our main unsub was a maintenance worker who was contracted with the state to work on the foster houses. He made friends with a lot of the kids and knew those houses inside out."

Just as he finished talking, several officers came by, escorting men who had taken a beating.

"As you can see, we also got his friends." Reid said after the men had passed.

"I hope they rot in prison and in hell." Black Bear muttered and several of his buddies whooped in agreement. "But let's not focus on them. Let focus on the fact that those kids are alive and safe! It's a good day to be alive!" The big man ended in a cheerful roar that drew the attention of some of the officers. Embarrassed at the attention, Reid tried to hush him but just ended up trapped in a bear hug.

"Black Bear, you're hugging me too tight!" He groaned, feeling his spine pop and sighed in relief when Black Bear released him.

"Sorry, little man. I'm just so happy. Everyone's safe and that doesn't happen very often." The older man said with a small sniffle as watery brown eyes looked down at Reid.

"Are you going to cry, Black Bear?" Reid asked with a teasing smile.

"I-I shouldn't. It's not good for my image. B-but the kids are alright and really, that's a good enough reason to cry, right Gretchen?" He asked turning to see the woman was already weeping. Her and several other bikers. "See? Gretchen agrees with me. If she says it's ok to cry, then it's ok to cry."

And so, the rest of the team walked in to see an awkward Reid trying to comfort a group bikers that were crying their eyes out.

"Damn, Reid! What did you say to them? Why are they crying like someone died?" Morgan asked incredulously as he took in the scene.

"Um, I told them everything was ok. They're crying out of relief, I think." Reid said lamely.

"Well we can't have that, can we? Hey man! No need for tears! We shouldn't be in here bawling, we should be out celebrating!" Morgan said, slapping one of the bikers on the back.

"He's right! Let's go celebrate! Drinks are on me!" Black Bear yelled and received many happy yells in return at the mention of free drinks.

And that's how Reid found himself stuck in a loud bar with his old friends becoming friends with his current ones. He didn't mind them bonding, he just wished it wasn't through stories about him.

"I can't believe you're leaving so soon. I wanted more time to catch up." Gretchen complained when she found out the team would be flying back to Virginia the next day.

"Sorry, Gretchen. It's part of the job. Once we catch the unsub there's no reason for us to stay." Reid shrugged helplessly. "Besides, I'm not sure how wise it was to allow Morgan and Emily challenge Black Bear to a drinking contest."

"I dunno, they seem to be holding up pretty well." Gretchen commented, looking at the two profilers who had just knocked back their drinks and were egging on Black Bear to do the same. "In any case, Black Bear will lose regardless. He doesn't want to get drunk tonight for two reasons. He'd be mortified if Annabelle called and he couldn't answer without slurring; she'd lecture him something fierce, that's for sure." The woman ended in a giggle.

"What's the second reason?" Reid asked curiously.

"Why, you little man! You're all grown up but Black Bear doesn't want to look like a bad influence in front of your friends. He thought about you a lot after we lost contact. He was really worried about you. We all were. We had no idea where you were or if you were ok." She confessed to him quietly, ripping the label off her beer bottle.

"Ah, sorry about that. I didn't mean to lose contact with you guys. I lost some stuff in the move from Vegas to Virgina and there was so much going in my life that by the time I realized I hadn't talked to you guys in a while, it had already been a year. I tried Black Bear's number but he had changed it. I thought about calling the Legion and asking for him but I didn't want to bother you guys." Reid explained in an equally quiet voice.

"Aw, it's alright, Spencer. We figured that was probably what had happened. Life moves on and sometimes people get left in the past, intentionally or not. We're glad we got to see you again." Gretchen told him.

"Really glad!" Black Bear cut in as he sat next to Reid. "I'd probably still be stuck in that interrogation room without you. Man, you FBI agents sure can put it away!" The old biker exclaimed as Morgan and Emily started another round.

"No, those two are on higher level than most humans when it comes to drinking. Anyone else would be dead from alcohol poisoning by now." Reid joked and yelped when a wadded up napkin pegged him in the forehead, courtesy of a tipsy Emily.

He would be sad leaving his old friends in the morning but for now, he was going to embrace the warmth of the friendship they had kindled so long ago.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Um, certainly not my best work. I know the case could have been expanded on more, but this was meant to be short, people! Short! **

**I'm sure no one was expecting an update on a completed fic from almost 4 years ago but it's 2015 and reviewers were still asking for a follow up, so I figured 'Eh, why not?' Consider it a late Valentine's gift. **

**I hope this is what you guys were looking for? Apologies for any grammar and spelling mistakes, it's been 3 years since I've last written and I'm rusty. I also edited the first chapter. It's still the same, I just reworded some parts and edited stuff I missed the first time around.**


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